The Breaking Point, a podcast for the broken-hearted

NOVEMBER 27, 2017 – The Breaking Point is a podcast in which regular people tell the stories of their most significant breakups and heartbreaks. Now on Apple podcasts and all the other podcast providers, The Breaking Point touches on some of the most pivotal moments of our lives: romantic breakups. We’ve all been through this and we can all relate. Because they always leave a mark – whether we want it not – breakups shape us in ways we don’t always fully comprehend. When they occur, dealing with their consequences can be a difficult – sometimes traumatizing – experience.

But it’s not only the actual breakup that impacts one’s life. In a society that pushes us to be “a winner,” tough, unbreakable, successful, most of the time emotions are considered weaknesses. Talking about the pain we feel is not easy, yet we still have to deal with it. Are we supposed to carry on like nothing happened? Are we expected to pretend that it was not a big deal after all? The Breaking Point gives an opportunity to those who want to actually speak out about their tough experiences – and allows listeners to deeply relate.

Each episode is approximately 30 minutes long and tells the unique story of one person’s most significant breakup. Usually, the one that scarred them the most, the one they had to learn to live with over the years. They tell “the whole story,” from the beginning and the honeymoon period to the breakup; its origins and aftermath. Then, the last part of the interview reflects on how each interviewee processed this difficult experience and what impact it had on their lives and subsequent relationships.

Among the already available episodes:

– Episode 1: the story of Sarah, who was very much in love with Stephen but realised that he had doubt about his sexuality.

– Episode 3: the story of Felicity, who had to deal with the hardest separation that neither Mick nor she wanted.

– Episode 7; the story of Rebecca, who fell in love with Will… until he disappeared.

French broadcaster Julien Manuguerra, creator and producer of The Breaking Point, has worked as a radio and TV journalist for 15 years in France, Canada and the UK. Based in Scotland now, his inspiration to create that podcast was very personal. “I have – like many of us – been through a very difficult breakup a few years ago. I couldn’t believe how much it had impacted not only my life but myself as a person, very deeply. I got out ‘different,’ scarred, weakened and very cynical. In one word, heartbroken.”

“Until I reached a certain point of resilience, I had no idea what to do with all the pain. It was completely overwhelming. At the time, I thought no one could even begin to understand what I was feeling. But if we really take the time to listen, it’s obvious that we almost all go through similar experiences. They’re all different, but that’s what happens when we expose ourselves to be vulnerable, to love and be loved. The ambition of this podcast is ultimately to connect people. Everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Giving people a chance to talk about some of those battles can make a difference. It generates compassion, empathy and understanding.”